PROFESSIONALS (Original Title : a Mule for the Marquesa) cover

PROFESSIONALS (Original Title : a Mule for the Marquesa)

by Orourke

Once again Mr. O'Rourke draws a firm bead on a story-line. Set in the sixth year of the Mexican Revolution, this saga of five larger-than-life soldiers-of-fortune takes us across mountain and desert to rescue the Marquesa, wife of Grant, a man who has made his fortune middle-manning guns and supplies to Villa. The Marquesa has been kidnapped by a band of renegade revolutionaries for a triple purpose, pardon from Villa, reward, and ultimate revenge against Grant. The five hired rescuers are headed by Fardan, who combines a taste for adventure with a penchant for retrospection. The action flows fast under a sun as relentless as the kidnapper's deadline and is interspersed with a little "it's bigger than all of us" desert-mountain philosophy. Straight shooting leads to the inevitable rescue but there is a surprise twist.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?